Planogijapji



F. X. SMUCK.

ROWING DEVICE. APPuc'ATloN FILED 11m11.191s.'

Painted Aug. 1.2, 1919.

K. f R a M/ 3 MX. on, 5% QM, 1% 1 /mrw L FRANK XAVIER sMUcx, 0E KITGHENE'R, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ROWING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,- 1919.

Application med Marca 7, 1919. seal No. 281,252.

To all whom z't may concern.' i,

Be it known that I, -FRANK XAVIER SMUCK, of the city of Kitchener, in the county of Waterloo, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rowing Devices, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rowing devices and the object of the invention is to devise a rowing device which will propel the boat in the direction which the rower is facing and at the same time to provide means whereby the rowlock may be raised or lowered to correspond with the depth of the boat in the water and also to provide means whereby my device may be readily attached to or detached from the side of the boat and it consists essentially of the following arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device.

Fig. 2, is an enlarged sectional view taken through my device in proximity to the gunwale of the boat.

, In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

1 indicates the gunwale of a boat. 2 indicates a bar which is designed to rest upon the upper edge of the gunwale and to form the main support for my device.

yIn order to secure the bar 2 to the gunwale IV provide swinging links 2x located at each end of the bar 2 Vand pivoted to the gunwale, the links when in the vertical position, surrounding the bar 2.

3 indicates an eccentric locking lever swung upon each link 2XY and adapted, Vwhen swung inwardly, to clamp the bar 2 against the upper edge of the gunwale. 4'indicates standard bars extending horizontally from the bar 2 and outwardly from the boat. 5 indicates a frame which is swung at .5X-between the standards 4, the inner end of the frame next to the boat being held in position by'a locking pin 5 extending through an orifice 4x formed in one of the standards 4 and into an orifice 5 formed in one of the side bars of the frame 5 and adapted to be brought into alinement with the orifice 4*.

In order that the frame may be adjusted to any desired angle I have provided an upwardly extending lug 52 extending upwardly from the side bar of the frame 5 having perforations 53 formed therein in vertical alinement with the orifice 5.

6 indicates a U-shaped bracket secured tol n frame 5, such bracket forming the rowlock through which the front portion of the 4tending p in 72 on which is mounted a roller .7 3. 8` indicates an oary handle which is pivoted intermediately of its length uponl the bar 2 at 8"( f The outer end of the handle is provided with opposing socket nuts 8 extending to each side ofthe ball 7 so that the ball fits therebetween; It will be seen that when the outer end ofthe handle 8 lis swung in one direction, for instance, in the direction of arrow that the outer end of the oar 7 will be swung in the same direction propelling the boat in the direction of arrow A or in the direction which the operator holding the oar` handle l8 faces. 9 indicates a cam piece which is securedv to the outer face ofthe inner bar 5*. .The ends ofthe cam piece 9 are tapered off at 9x and 9 forming lower curved faces 92 and 9"2 and uppercurved faces 94D and 95 forming the ends of the cam piece into a sharp edge which extends in a slightly converging direction as will be clearly seen on referringv to Fig. 2.

10 indicates a downwardly curvedfinger extending from the side bar 55 of the frame 5.and in proximity to the curved portion 92 of the cam 9, it being sufciently far away from `suchv curved. portion to allow of the passage of the roller 7 2.

1 1 indicates an upwardly curved finger carried bythe Vframe 5 and located opposite Vthe end 9 of thecam piece 9, the space between the finger and the end of the cam piece being sufficient to allow ofthe passage of the roller 72. 121indicates a strap which is secured to each side bar of the frame 5 extending across the frame over theinner end of the oar member 7 at a point adjacent tothe Y roller 72 and" cam piece 9. .The fingers 10 and l1 maybe spring fingers. l,

Having described the principal'parts inL volved jin my invention I `will' briefly. describe the operation of YtheV same.

As the oarsman pulls the oar handle 8 in the direction of arrow the oar handle swings upon the bolt 8X which forms the fulcrum thereof. The opposite end of the oarhandle 8 therefore swings in the opposite direction to arrow carrying the ball 7 attached to the shank of the oar member in a corresponding direction, swinging the oar member 7 in the rowlock 6 and carrying the roller 7 3 over the upper surface of the cam piece9 until it strikes the upwardly curved linger 1l which directs it down the curved upper portion 95 of the cam piece 9, this taking place at the end of the stroke of the oarsman. By the return stroke the roller is carried against the curved lower face 93 of the cam piece 9 and is thereby directed rearwardly with the blade of the oar clear of the water, this movement continuing until the curve 92 directs the roller 73 upward against the iinger l0, which guides the roller up to a position over the cam piece 9. The operation is then repeated.

It may be found necessary to adjust the blade of the oar according to the depth of the boat in the water in order that the oar may clear the water on its return stroke. For this purpose I have provided the frame 5 swingingably mounted in the standard members 4:. When it is desired to adjust the frame the pin 4L* is withdrawn from the orifice 5 and the inner end of the frame forced down until one of the holes 53 is brought into alinement with the orifice 5o when the pin lx is slipped back into place thereby holding the frame 5 at a slightly downwardly inclined angle toward the side of the boat, and thereby raising the outer end or blade of the oar to a higher level so that as it swings in the rowlock it will clear the water on its return movement.

If it is desired to use the boat as an ordinary boat, that is, to use the ordinary oars all that it is necessary to do is to swing the cam levers 3 outward so as to free the links 2*. The links 2x may be then swung outward clear of the bar 2. The bar 2 and frame 5 and the oar members carried thereby may be then removed and the usual rowlock placed in position in the gunwale of the boat and the ordinary oars used.

From this description it will be seen that I have devised a very simple device whereby a boat may be propelled in the direction the occupant of the boat is facing and at the same time provided simple means whereby the point of swing of the oar formed bythe rowlock may be adjusted vertically in order to give the blade of the oar greater clearance on its return stroke.

What I'claim as my invention is:

l. A rowing device comprising a frame adapted to be carried by the orunwale of the boat, a divided oar, one member comprising a blade and a shank portion and the other member a handle portion and shank portion overlying the aforesaid shank portion, a rowlock carried by the outer portion of the frame in which the shank portion of the oar blade bears, a pivotal connection between the handle portion of the oar and the inner portion of the frame, a ball and socket connection between the outer end of the shank portion of the handle and the intermediate portion of the shank of the blade, and means for guiding the inner end of the shank of the blade so that the blade passes rearwardly through the water by the rearward stroke of the handle and forwardly clear of the water by the forward stroke of the handle.

2. A rowing device comprising a frame adapted to be carried by the gunwale of the boat, a divided oar, one member comprising a blade and a shank portion and the other member a handle portion and shank portion overlying the aforesaid shank ortion, a rowlock carried by the outer portion of the frame in which the shank portion of the oar blade bears, a pivotal connection between the handle portion of the oar and the inner portion of Jthe frame, a ball and socket connection between the outer end of the shank portion of the handle and the intermediate portion of the shank of the blade, means for guiding the inner end of the shank of the blade so that the blade passes rearwardly through the water by the rearward stroke vof the handle and forwardly clear of the water by the forward stroke of the handle, and means for detachably connecting the frame to the gunwale of the boat.

3. A rowing device comprising a frame adapted to be carried by the gunwaleV of the boat, a divided oar, one member comprising a blade and a shank portion and the f other member a handle portion and shank portion overlyingthe aforesaid shank portion, a rowlock carried by the outer portion of the frame in which the shank portion of the oar blade bears, a pivotal connection between the handle portion of the oar and the inner portion of the frame, a ball and socket connection between the outer end of the shank portion of the handle and the intermediate portion of the shank of the blade, a cam member comprising a bar having tapered ends secured to the inner portion of the frame, a cam roller carried by the inner end of the shank of the oar blade adapted to engage the upper and lower faces of the cam member, and means for guiding the roller therearound as the oar handle is reciprocated.

4. A rowing device comprising a frame adapted to be carried by the gunwale of the boat, a divided oar, one member comprising a blade and a shank portion and the other member a handle portion and shank portion overlying the aforesaid shank portion, a rowlock carried by the outer portion of the frame in which the shank portion of the oar blade bears, a pivotal connection between the handle portion of the oar and the'inner portion of the frame, a ball and socket connection between the outer end of the shank portion of the handle and the intermediate portion of the shank of the blade, a cam member comprising a bar having tapered ends secured to the inner portion of the frame, a cam roller carried by the inner end of the shank of the oar blade adapted to engage the upper and lower faces of the cam member, an upwardly curved finger carried by the frame at one end of the cam piece and a downwardly curved finger vcarried by the frame at the opposite end of the cam piece, and a strap member extending across the frame over the shank of the oar handle in proximity to the cam roller when the cam roller is" in contact with the upper face of the cam piece.

5. A rowing device comprising a supporting frame adapted to be carried by the gunwale of a boat, a swinging frame carried in the supporting frame, means for adjustably securing the lnner portion of the frame in position, a rowlock carried by the outer portion of the frame, an oar handle pivotally secured intermediately of its length to the inner portion of the supporting frame, an oarmember comprising a blade and shank held within the rowlock, a ball and socket connection between the outer end of the oar handle and the intermediate portion of the shank of the oar blade, and means for supporting the inner end of the shank of the the outer portion of the frame in which the shank portion of the oar blade bears, a pivotal connection between the handle portion of the oar and the inner portion of the frame, a ball and socket connection between the outer end of the shank portion of the handle and the intermediate portion of the shank of the blade, means for guiding the inner end of the shank of the blade so that the blade passes rearwardly through the water by the rearward stroke of the handle and forwardly clear of the water while the forward stroke of the handle loop members swung in the gunwale and adapted to extend over the projecting ends of the bar, and eccentric levers swung upon the upper portion of each loop and adapted to bear against the upper face of the projecting portion of the bar.

FRANK XAVIER SVMUCK. Witnesses:

A. L. FISCHER, H. W. PLETOH.

Goble: of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

